On 25 October 1971, the United Nations General Assembly voted to expel the Chinese Nationalist government of Taiwan and formally admitted the Communist People's Republic of China (PRC) as the legitimate representative of China.
This landmark decision, passed with 76 votes in favour, 35 against, and 17 abstentions, marked a significant geopolitical shift, as the PRC, under Mao Zedong's leadership, gained international recognition over Taiwan, which had retained China's UN seat since the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
The vote was a major victory for Beijing, affirming its "One China" policy and reshaping the global diplomatic landscape in favour of the PRC, while Taiwan, led by Chiang Kai-shek's government, lost its place on the international stage.
